New Albuquerque subdivision has become a spot for chaos and crime

Created: 08/24/2014 10:04 PM
By: Caleb James, KOB Eyewitness News 4

First, a party with hundreds of students spilling into the streets, then a shooting. KOB Eyewitness News 4 has learned those are just two of 23 calls to emergency services since The Cottages of New Mexico had its move-in day just over a week ago.

The community is advertised as student living.

The little development looks like a brand-new upscale subdivision -- the clubhouse, the pool, little saplings lining each little street. But in just over a week, The Cottages have become a hot-spot for chaos and crime.

"Hello, thank you for calling The Cottages of New Mexico: Student living, redefined."

That's the greeting callers hear when they call Capstone Collegiate Communities' new development in Albuquerque: The Cottages.

"This place nightly smells like a weed plantation," said Savannah Goslin. "Half-drank bottles of vodka all over the place."

College is supposed to get pretty crazy, but there's a fine line between crazy fun and crazy out of control.

Just eight days after students started moving in, The Cottages of New Mexico subdivision has been a magnet for the out-of-control kind of crazy.

"If they want to drink, they come here," said Goslin. "Last night we walked around and saw everyone carrying two handles and half-drank beers."

Goslin says after this party poured into the streets, APD officers arrived and started allowing only residents into the complex.

It didn't seem to matter though.

"They were turned away, but instead just decided to jump the fence, because you can," said Goslin.

The key-card access gate to the complex was wide open for the entire hour KOB was at the development.

An exit gate has been opened and closed, letting cars out.

None of that really seemed to matter though, because of insecure, wide open pedestrian entrances throughout the complex -- anybody can come in and out of this complex any time.

The massive clubhouse, with access to a pool, is open 24 hours a day.

"You're supposed to theoretically use a key to get in," said Goslin. "I've never had to use a key."

KOB didn't have to use a key to open the front door either.

According to APD, 23 calls for emergency services have been placed from the complex in eight days.

The development's website advertises itself as "the next big thing in student living."

But Sunday, UNM told KOB the private development has nothing to do with the university -- in fact they've asked the Alabama-based company to stop advertising itself as student housing of any kind.

Calls and e-mails to Capstone Collegiate Communities -- the developer that runs the cottages, were unreturned on Sunday.

A woman who tells us she's the assistant general manager for the property asked us to leave, and refused to answer any questions.

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